A RECOMMENDATION has been made to the Guildford College Group, which Farnham Sixth Form College is part of, to find a suitable merger partner to halt a “decline” in its financial health.

The merger is to be completed by the end of the 2018 calendar year at the latest.

It comes after the Further Education (FE) Commissioner John Denning made his intervention visit to the college group, followed by a letter from the Secretary of State Justine Greening accepting the recommendations and the next steps which need to be taken.

According to the letter “the college was referred to the Commissioner following the decline in its financial health” and will now be regularly monitored by the Commissioner team.

The team will make sure improvements to the “quality of delivery for current learners, through strengthening the college’s post inspection action plan” remain on track.

A spokesperson from the group said: “A merger will give the Guildford College Group greater resilience and scope to invest in facilities and resources to meet the needs of students and employers.

“The intention is for each of the colleges within the Guildford College Group to retain their existing campuses, names and identities.

“The merger will have a minimal impact on the day-to-day activities of the colleges.”

The letter states that a merger is needed to “improve the quality of its delivery for learners, and stabilise its financial position”, and that the college is “already working with the Commissioner’s team to deliver this”.

The college spokesperson added: “The students currently studying with us and those who have applied to join in September will continue to receive the high standards of education, support and opportunities expected.

“Once an appropriate merger partner has been identified a more thorough period of consultation and due diligence will take place, whereby students, parents, schools and the local community will be invited to discuss the opportunity further and raise any concerns or recommendations.”